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Presidential Cycling Tour - 2.1

Turkey, April 13-20, 2008

Prologue - April 13: GP Istanbul, 76.2km

Rast shows Astana's motivation on the cobblestones

By Jean-François Quénet in Istanbul

Astana's Gregory Rast became the first winner at the 44th Presidential Tour
of Turkey after outsprinting Italian Francesco Ginanni in a spectacular opener.
However, the 76.2 km Grand Prix of Istanbul is not actually part of the UCI
sanctioned Tour of Turkey, and so the race proper starts tomorrow with a 132.7
km stage from Izmir to Kusadasi. But as Astana directeur sportif Alain Gallopin
noted, separating today's criterium from the stage race was a good call by race
organisers. "Otherwise, the overall classification would have been decided
today," he said.

Indeed it was very hard terrain leading the riders from the ancient hippodrome
where chariot races used to be held during the Byzantine empire down to the
Bosphorus Strait and back up towards the famous Blue Mosque in the area of Sultanahmet,
which is the most visited in the historical city of Istanbul, a few blocks away
from the Grand Bazar.

Cobblestones, uphill and downhill made the race a real spectacle, with the
riders also keen to put on a show as they went full-gas from the gun. The Serramenti
PVC-Diquigiovanni team showed their motivation early but Astana was prompt to
imitate them with Gregory Rast taking the initiative after only ten kilometres.

"When I came here, I didn't know what to expect", the Swiss rider
explained. "When I saw the course this morning, I realized it was good
for me. The uphill cobblestones made it look like the Tour of Flanders where
I finished 13th last week. I understood that I had to catch the attackers from
the first lap. As I became a part of the front group, I only had to stay focused
and observe my adversaries. I didn't know them really."

The Astana team isn't exactly racing against their usual opponents at the Tour
of Turkey. "But people like us here, so we're happy to produce a good show
for them," Rast commented. "I was impressed by the very big crowd
here today. I don't do this job only for training but mostly for racing and
winning as much as possible. Today I've won a nice race."

Gustavo Cesar Veloso from Karpin-Galicia who had finished third in Le Tour
de Langkawi in February was Rast's biggest worry. "I reacted very quickly
when he attacked with five laps to go", said the former Swiss champion
(in 2004 and 2006) and winner of the 2007 Tour of Luxemburg. "In the final
sprint, I didn't have any difficulty for winning. It's great to win."

There should be more to come from Astana during the seven-day Tour of Turkey.
"We came with a strong team," Rast added. "Andreas Klöden
will like the climbs here. But we have two or three cards to play."

A few bunch sprints are expected too, although today's criterium was a little
too dangerous for Alessandro Petacchi who withdrew early after seeing a spectacular
crash on the fourth lap. But the Italian fast man from Milram will be determined
to win a few stages on the Turkish coast later this week.

How it unfolded

The race started at a very high speed with the winner of Le Tour de Langkawi
Ruslan Ivanov (Serramenti PVC-Diquigiovanni) being the first man in action during
the first of 30 laps of 2.54 kilometres.

During the second lap, Ivanov was joined by Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Karpin-Galicia)
and his team-mate Francesco Ginanni (Serramenti PVC-Diquigiovanni). A fourth
man formed the first significant front group: Matteo Priamo (CSF-Navigare),
while a crash split the bunch in the middle of the fourth lap.

Ivanov got dropped from the leading group and was replaced by David Garcia
Dapena (Karpin-Galicia) and Gregory Rast (Astana) who felt as good on the cobblestones
of Istanbul as on those of the Tour of Flanders.

After six laps, the breakaway comprised five riders: Ginanni, Priamo, Cesar
Veloso, Garcia Dapena and Rast. After nine laps, the bunch led by Silence-Lotto's
Nick Gates was just one minute down with many riders pulling out due to the
high speed of the race. Two riders went in between the breakaway and the bunch:
Gabriele Missaglia (Serramenti PVC-Diquigiovanni) and Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez
(Partizan).

Just after half way, Missaglia and Rubiano caught up with the leaders with
14 laps to go. The gap between the men away and the bunch remained around one
minute. With 10 laps to go, it was exactly 1'12.

A maximum lead of 2'13 was reached with six laps to go. Francesco Reda (NGC
Medical) then launched a counter-attack by himself a lap later, but the seven
leaders didn't have to fear the return of anybody. Missaglia and Priamo were
dropped temporarily in the closing stages but got back on and it was a seven-man
sprint for the win.

Rast made his move after the final sweeping corner, and had too much power
for Ginanni and Garcia Dapena.